Vending apparatus



May 17, 1960 0. D. FORST ET AL vsunmc APPARATUS S Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 10, 1958 M9 H III kwm 17a V10 17. Tom

luydJZ M rlrl May 17, 1960 D. D. FORST ETAL VENDING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1958 2,936,931 VENDING APPARATUS David D. Forst and Lloyd D. Merkl, Mayville, Wis., as-

signors to Mayville Metal Products Co., Mayville, Wis, a corporation of Wisconsin Application February 10, 1958, Serial No. 714,219

10 Claims. 01. 221-90 This invention relates to coin operated vending machines" and the like, and refers more particularly to apparatus for delivering articles of merchandise one at a time from a storage and display position to a delivery position, each such delivery being affected in consequence of deposit of a coin in a coin slot.

In general, the object of this invention is to provide apparatus for vending packs of cigarettes, candy bars, ice cream bars and similar individual articles of merchandise, which apparatus is not only simple, inexpen- 36d States P tent F ICC refrigerated merchandise because of the fact'that very It is also an object of this invention to provide a vending machine wherein. articles of merchandise are individually stored and displayed on tiltable shelves machine to accommodate items of merchandise of different shapes and sizes.

Another specific object of this a vending machine having article supporting shelves that are tiltingly swingable from a horizontal article supporting position to a vertical .article releasing position; wherein each of the shelves is held in its article supporting position by simple and inexpensive readily releasablelatch means, and wherein actuation of the latch means for each shelf is effected by means of a simple latch actuator mounted and ,driven for stepwise movement from onelatch means to another.

In connection with the object of this invention just mentioned, it is a very important object of:.this invention to provide a vending machinewhich is particularly adapted for use with frozen foods, such as ice cream bars and ice cream sandwiches; and among the special objects ,of the invention are the provision of a vending machine mechanism which is well adapted to enclosure in a cabinet that can be readily refrigerated, and which.

is so simple and reliable in operation thataccumulations of ice: andjfrost on the parts thereof will nottend to pro duce failures or malfunctions. *1

invention is to provide little power is used to effect movement of articles of merchandise to be vended from their storage and display positions to their delivery positions, and consequently no appreciable heating takesplace in consequence of such movement of the merchandise. 7

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention'resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of'the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

'The accompanying drawings illustrate one completeexample of the physical embodiment of the invention constructed according to the best mode so far devised for the practical application of'the principles thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a bank of merchandise storage shelves constituting the merchandise storage and delivery mechanism ofthe vending machine of Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the numeral 5 designates generally the merchandise storage and delivery mechanism of the vending machine of this invention, comprising a bank of vertically spaced apart merchandise storage shelves 6. Each of the shelvesis adapted to support an article of merchandise, such as an ice cream bar or the like, and is carried by a holder '7, and all of the holders and the shelveswhich they carry are pivotally mounted one above the other on a bearer 9 comprisinga pair of elongated upright supports or rails 10 and 1.1. The entire bank of merchandise storage shelves may be located behind an elongated panel of either transparent or opaque mater'ial, depending upon whether it is desired to display or conceal the articles to be vended, but in either event it will be understood that the bank of shelves will be housed in a suitable enclosure, which may of course be refrigerated.

Each of the upright rails 10 and 11 is channel shaped, and the two rails are secured between top and bottom frame members 12 and 13-, respectively, which hold the rails in spaced'apart parallel relationship with their web portions 14 opposing one another and their flanges projecting in opposite directions. The frame members 17. and 13;may support several banks of'shelves inside-by-side relationship, to provide for the vending of a variety of products. Mounted between and supported by the rails a forwardly projecting horizontal article supporting attitude to a vertical or tilted attitude in which an article on the shelf is dropped to a delivery position at the bottom of the bank of shelves.

the latch means holding one of the shelves in its horizontal position, so that the shelvesare released one at a time for article dropping swingingimovement.

A furtherobject of this invention resides in the 'provision of acoin operated vending machine which is Each of the holders 7 is formed of heavy spring wire and comprises a substantially U-shaped central shelf supporting portion 15 having a pair of coaxial trunnions 16 and 17 extending in opposite directions from the free ends Patented May 17, 1960 3 wire, at the outer end of one of the trunnions 16, is bent at right angles to the trunnion to provide a latch arm 19 which projects laterally from the trunnion in the direction opposite to that in which the U-shaped shelf supporting portion projects therefrom, so that the shelf supporting portion and the latch arm may be considered wise extending integral ridges 21, and it flatwise overlies and is supported by the U-shaped shelf supporting portion 15 of a holder 7. An ear 2-3 is turned down at each side edge of each shelf, near the rear edge 24 thereof, and through these ears pass the trunnions of the holder,

so that each shelf is pivoted upon the trunnions of its holder for flatwise swinging motion with the shelf supporting portion of the holder., 7

- The rear flange 27 of the rail is serrated to provide a plurality of downwardly facing shoulders or abutments 26, each such abutment being horizontally aligned with one of the bearing holes 29 in the web portion of the rail. At its inner end each'abutment joins a downwardly and outwardly inclined upper surface 47. Each latch arm 19 can be releasably held engaged under one of the abutments 26, and by its horizontal disposition when so engaged it will of course hold the shelf supporting portion of its holder horizontal, and thus hold the connected shelf 6 in its article supporting position. Each latch arm can be released from beneaththe shoulder with which it cooperates when the arm is moved laterally, parallel to the trunnion axis, in the direction to carry the latch arm away from the web portion 14 of rail 10.

Such .movement of the latch arm is provided for by reason of the fact that the distance between the inner ends of the trunnions 16 and 17, where they join the legs 13 of the U-shaped shelf supporting portion of the holder, is less than the distance between the webs of the upright rails 16 and 11, and the ears 23 on the shelf lie closely adjacent to the inner ends of the trunnions. Each shelf holder is biased in the axial direction to maintain its shelf arm engaged under a cooperating shoulder 26 by means of a coiled compression spring 3% which surrounds the trunnion l6 and reacts between the web portion 14 of the rail 14} and the adjacent ear Z3 on the shelf member.

Release of each latch arm to permit the shelf connected with its holder to swing downwardly about the trunnions is effected by means of a latch actuator 34 comprising a wedge-like cam member mounted for upward movement along the rail 10 to have successive engagement with the several latch arms, each in turn. The latch actuator 18 carried for such motion on an endless drive chain 35 which is trained over a drive sprocket 37 near the top of rail 10 and an idler sheave 38 near the bottom of said rail, and the chain has straight front and rear stretches 39 and 40 extending parallel and adjacent, respectively, to the front and rear flanges 27 and 27 of said rail. The actuator is secured to one link 41 of the chain, and as it moves upwardly therewith past each latch arm rt cam mingly wedges the latch arm out from underuts cooperating abutment 26, against the bias of spring 30, thus releasing the shelf and its holder to swing downwardly of their own weight, about the trunnions, so that any article on the shelf will drop to a delivery position there beneath. Since the cam actuator'trips the shelves in sequence, beginning with'the lowermost shelf, and each drops to a substantially vertical position between the rails 10 and 11, none of theshelves obstructs the fall of an article from a shelf above it.

Thetrear stretch 40 of the chain, which moves up- 4 wardly with the cam actuator, is guidingly confined to linear motion by a vertically elongated guide strip 43 readily detachably secured to the exterior of the web 14 of rail 10 by screws 46, and having a flange 44 which is spaced from and opposes the rear flange 27 on rail 10. The two flanges 44 and 27 cooperate to define, in efiect, a slot in which the rear stretch of the chain travels and from which it receives guidance. has a flange 45 which extends forwardly parallel to the web 14 of rail 10 and is'spaced outwardly therefrom a distance substantially equal to or slightly greater than the distance between the inner end of shoulder 26 and the web 14 of rail 10. This flange has a series of equispaced notches 45' in its forward edge in which the outer end portions of the latch arm trunnions 16 are freely received, as shown best in Figure 2. Hence in either position of each latch arm, that is, regardless of, whether its shelf is horizontalror tilted downwardly so that its latch arm extends up, the latter will lengthwise bear against the exterior of the guide strip flange 45 to define the axial position of the latch on trunnion in its bearing hole. Accordingly, even though the latch arms are swung to their vertical positions, each will be held by the flange 45 in a position in which it can ride downwardly and outwardly along the outwardly inclined upper SUI,

face 47 of the serration having the shoulder 26 with which the latch arm is engageable during resetting of its shelf. The armwill engage under said shoulder with a detent action due to the biasing force of spring 30.

It will be seen that because of the manner in which the shelves are mounted, each holder and its shelf can be readily removed from the pair of bearing holes 20 in which it is installed and can be moved to a pair of bear-. ing holes at a higher or lower level on the upright bearer 9. To eflect such removal of the holder from the bearer, the. guide strip 43 is removed while the latch arms are in their vertical positions, and the legs 18 of the U-shaped portion of the holder are flexed toward one another to withdraw trunnion'17 axially from the web,

of rail 11. Thereafter trunnion 16 may be withdrawn from rail 10, the holder and the shelf being turned bodily to maneuver the latch arm through the bearing hole 16 in rail 10. Installation of the shelf, in a new location is accomplished by reversing the procedure just described. Each shelf of course may remain assembled with its holder when the latter is removed from the upright bearer 9 by reason of the connection between the trunnions on the holder and the ears 23 on the shelf.

The chain is driven for latch disengaging movement of mounted for bodily up and down movement and is biased downwardly by means of a coiled tension spring 51. To enable the sheave 38 to move in response to tension of spring 51, the shaft 52 upon which the sheaveis rotatably mounted is carried by a carriage plate 53 slidably confined between the flanges 27 and 27' of rail 1i) and held in Sliding engagement with the web 14 of said rail by means-of studs 54 projecting inwardly from said flanges and overlying the front surface of the carriage plate.

The coiled tension springsl has its upper end connected toa lug 55 on-the carriage plate and its lower end con 7 nected to a stud 56 projecting from the web of the rail 10, atthe bottom thereof. a a

The motor 48 by which the latch actuator is driven -may be controlled through a circuit like that shown in Figure 5, whereby the motor is caused to start when a coin 58 is inserted into a coin slot 59 in the machine and to stop after it has moved the latch actuator through a distance substantially equal to the distance between latch arms, thus assuring that only one shelf will be tripped each time acoin'is put into the machine.

The guide strip also" coin slot conducts he coin to a conventional mechanismv of the type that inrludes acoin. actuated momentary contact switch 60, and said switch closes a circuit which connects a current source, represented by mains 61 and 62, with the solenoid 64 of a relay having two sets of contacts 65 and 66. The contacts 66 are. connected with one lead 61 ,of the current source through a conductor 67 and with the motor through another conductor 68. The other lead 62 of the current source is connected with the motor through one set of contacts 69 of a double throw switch 70, which contacts remain closed so long as the uppermost shelf in the bank is in its horizontal article supporting position, a conductor 72 providing the connection between contacts 69 and the motor, and another conductor 73 connecting contacts 69 with lead 62. Thus closure of the coin actuated switch 60 effects closure of the relay contacts 65 and 66 and energizes the motor 48.

In additionto driving the sprocket 37, the motor rotatingly drives a'pa'ir of switch actuating cams 74 and 75, both of which make one full revolution as the latch actuator moves through a distance equal to the spacing between adjacent latch arms. The switch 76, which is actuated by cam 74, is connected in series with the contacts 65 of therelay by means of a conductor 78, and is also connected, through a conductor 79, with one side of the relay solenoid 64, the other side of said solenoid being connected directly with'the current supply lead 62 through a conductor 80. Thus the cam actuated switch 76i s connected in parallel with the coin actuated switch 60, through relay contacts 65, to provide a holdingcircuit whereby the relay, once closed through switch 60, 'is maintained closed by the cam actuated switch 76 so long as the latter remains closed.

The cam 74 opens its associated switch 76 only after the cam has passed through a substantial part of its rotation cycle, and thus switch 76 is closed wheneverthe latch actuator is stopped in one of its normal inoperative positions between latch arms. Hence the relay holds itself closed through switch 76 as soon as a coin is dropped into the coin slot, and the motor is therefore energized through the contacts 66; but after the motor has driven the chain through a part of the distance between two adjacent latch arms, the cam 74 opens switch 76 to stop the flow of energizing current'to therelay and thus reopen the contacts '65 and 66 to prepare the apparatus for the next coin initiated operation. 1 However, the motor continues to be energized until it has driven the'cams 74 and 75 through a full cycle and has carried the latch actuator througha full space between latch arms. A switch 82,

actuated by cam- 75, provides for such continued operation of the motor after the relay opens and for'stopping the motor at the end of the cycle. A conductor '84 connects cam actuated switch 82 with power lead 61, and anotherconductor 85 connects said switch with the con: ductor 68 which connects with the motor. When the latch actuator has been driven the full distance between adjacentlatch arms, cam 75 opens switch 82 and breaks the flow of energizing current to the motor. Since cam 74 has 'at this point been rotated to a position in which it has closed switch '76, deposit of another coin in the coin slot will restart the cycle, causing the motor to drive'the latch actuator through engagement with another latch arm.

its vertical position, it actuates the double throw switch connected betweenthe motor conductor 72 and power wardly inclinedupper surface 47 of the adjacent serra- 'When the uppermost shelfin'the bank drops down to v ally into engagement thereunder with a substantially de-'v tent action.

When the machine here illustrated is serviced, the chain I must be moved orbitallythrough a sufficien-t distance to carry the latch actuator around the drive sprocket 37, down the front stretch, and around the sheave 38, in order to place the actuator in position for immediate engagement with the latch arm of the bottom shelf. In practice the necessity for this substantial movement of the .chain during servicing can be avoided by providing a second latch actuator, located at half the length of the chain from the first, and which can be moved into position for actuating the lowermost shelf with only a relatively short travel.

' To aid inadjusting the cyclical positions of the cams, a small signal shelf 6' may be installed in the bearing holes 20 directly below the lowermost shelf, and the cams 74 and 75 are set so that the motor stops immedi-,

and delivery of the merchandise;.and the remaining latchactuator travel will take place after the shelf has dropped to its delivery position.

It will be understood that the shelves must be arranged on the upright bearer at equispaced intervals, in order that motion of the latch actuator from shelf to shelf may be accurately controlled by the cam 75; and it will also be linear travel of the cam actuator.

' I The control system shown in Figure 5 is intended to be merely illustrative, showing one means of obtaining a step-by-step advance of the chain and the cam actuator carried thereby through distances corresponding to the spacing between latch arms each time the coin actuated switch is closed. In practice, other and possible more elaborate systems would be employed, providing for selection among any one of several banks of shelves and for tripping ofone shelf in the proper bank only when the correct value in coins for the merchandise selected has been placed in the machine.

From the foregoing description, taken together with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides a simple and very efficient vending machine apparatus which is readily adjustable to accommodate different sized articles of merchandise, which is or accurately fitting par-ts, so that the apparatus of this invention is not only low in cost but is well adapted for use with merchandise which must be stored in a refrigerated cabinet.

What is claimed as our invention is:

1. In a vending machine: a support including a pair of upright spaced apart rails providing parallel opposing walls with vertically equispaced holes therein, each hole in one wall being transversely opposite a hole in the other wall and cooperating therewith to provide a pair of horizontally coaxial bearings; a plurality of vertically equispaced shelves between and supported from 'said f walls with the spacing between shelves equal to a multiple of the spacing between vertically adjacent bearing holes; means mounting said shelves for flatwise tilting motion out of horizontal merchandise supporting positions to merchandise dropping positions, comprising a pair of coaxial trunnions connected witheach shelf and extending away from one another, beyond opposite sides of the aesae'si 7 shelf, and pivotally and axially slidably received in holes providing one pair of coaxial bearings, said trunnions being successively axially displaceable from their hearing holes to provide for detachment of the shelves and rein- 'stallation of the shelves at different uniformly spaced their trunnions in one axial direction in their bearing holes to free the shelves for tilting motion to their dropping positions; spring means reacting upon said last named trunnions to yieldingly resist such disengagement of their latch arms from said abutment means; an actuating cam; means mounting the cam on said one wall for vertical movement therealong; and means on each of said latch arm trunnions transiently engageable by the cam during vertical movement thereof, for imparting latch arm disengaging motion to said trunnions.

2. The vending machine of claim 1, further characterized by the provision of drive means for advancing said cam stepwise vertically along said one-wall, in increments equal to the spacing between vertically adjacent bearing holes.

3. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein said disengaging motion is imparted to the trunnions having the latch arms connected thereto by engagement of the cam with the latch arms themselves.

4. The vending machine of claim 1, wherein the trunnions for each shelf are part of a holder upon which the shelf rests, said holder having opposite resilient legs disposed substantially crosswise of the trunnions, and the trunnions being on the free ends of said legs; and each shelf having ears on its oppositeside-edges with apertures therein through which the trunnions project to connect the shelf to the holder.

5. The vending machine of claim 4 wherein the shelves have a transverse dimension which is less than the spacing between said walls, and wherein the junctions of the trunnions with the legs of each holder define shoulders which bear against the inner surfaces of the shelf ears; and further characterized by the fact that said spring means are coiled compression springs encircling the latch arm trunnions and confined between said one wall of the 7 support and the adjacent ears of the shelves to yieldingly urge the shelves away from said one wall and toward ,to said wall having the abutment means thereon, and

positioned to be engaged by the latch arms under the influence of said spring means to define the axial positions of the latch arm trunnions when the latch arms are engaged with said abutment means and also when the latch arms are disengaged from the abutment means.

7. The vending machine of claim 6, wherein said flange means and the latch arms cooperate to preclude axial displacement of the latch arm trunnions from their hearing holes; and further characterized by the provision of means readily detachably mounting said flange means on said one wall of the support so that it may be removed therefrom whenever adjustment of the levels of the shelves becomes necessary.

8. In an automatic vending machine, the combination of: an elongated bearer; a plurality of shelves pivotally mounted on the bearer at equl-spaced locations along its length and each swingable flatwise from a horizontal articlesupporting position to a tilted dropping position to which it is biased; cooperating parts carried by the bearer and each shelf for relative movement from an operative position of interengagement releasably holding the shelf in its article supporting position, to a disengaged position at which the shelf isreleased for tilting motion to 532,526 Bryce Jan. 15, 1895 749,535 Dawes Jan. 12, 1904 1,672,236 Varndell June 5, 1928 1,874,496 Gildemeister Aug. 30, 1932 1,916,530 Richardson July 4, 1933 2,565,766 Gabrielsen Aug. 28,1951

f 2,616,776 Jones Nov. 4, 1952 70 2,623,804 Neidig Dec. 30, 1952 drive the carrier means and the actuator thereon in said one direction, motor starting means operable in consequence of a manual act to the motor andthereby effect initiation of an operating cycle of the machine, and motor controlled means operable to effect stopping of the motor and termination of an operating cycle after the motor has produced travel of the carrier means and the actuator thereon a predetermined distance substantially equal to the spacing of the shelves, so that with each such operating cycle of the automatically operable means the actuator will effect relative disengaging motion of the cooperating parts for another shelf to cause the same to tilt to dropping position.

9. In an automatic vending machine, the combination of: an elongated bearer; a plurality of shelves pivotally mounted on the bearer at equi-spaced locations alongits length and each swingable flatwise from a horizontal article supporting position to a tilted dropping position to which it is biased; cooperating parts carried by the bearer and each shelf for relative movement from an operative position for interengagement releasably holding the shelf in its article supporting position, to a disengaged position at which the shelf is released for tilting motion to its dropping position; a movable actuator to effect relative disengaging motion of said parts for each shelf and release of the shelf held thereby; carrier means on the bearer mounting said actuator for movement in one direction lengthwise along the bearer to positions effecting relative disengaging motion of said parts for each shelf; an electric drive motor having a rotatable shaft; transmission means drivingly connecting said shaft of the motor with the carrier means for the actuator; and control means for the motor, including first switch means actuatable in consequence of a manual act to efiect starting of the motor and initiation of automatic operation of the machine, and second switch means controlled by the motor to elfect stopping thereof after said actuator has been moved by the motor driven carrier means a predetermined distance substantially equal to the spacing of the shelves and to a position effecting relative disengaging motion of said parts for one of the shelves, so that each actuation of said first switch means efiects disengagement of the cooperating parts for another shelf and release thereof for tilting motion to its dropping position.

10. The vending machine of claim 9, wherein said coopcrating parts comprise latch means connected with each shelf, and cooperating abutments on the bearer engaged by said latch means to hold the shelves in article supporting position; and further characterized by the fact that said actuator is engageable with the latch means for the shelves to eifect disengagement of said latch means from their cooperating abutments and tilting of the shelves to dropping positions. g

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

